Polly Christensen, who was elected on Nov. 5 to one of two at-large seats on the City Council, takes the oath of office Monday at the City Council Chambers.
(
Matthew Jonas
)

LONGMONT -- In an angry note a week before her election, Councilwoman Polly Christensen reprimanded Abbondanza owner Bob Goff for putting up a Bryan Baum sign in his pizzeria, saying that if Baum won the mayorship, "I will never set foot in here again."

"Putting up a political sign in a business is a choice," the note read. "You chose to put up a sign for Bryan Baum, the worst mayor Longmont ever had: an arrogant liar, incredibly divisive. Why?

"Have you noticed a drop off in business?" it concludes. "Not a single Democrat I know is willing to set foot in your business, except me. Over the years, I have given you hundreds and hundreds of dollars (with my son). If Baum wins, it will be because of people like you. And I will never set foot in here again."

The note was posted online late Monday by Baum's wife, Stephanie, who referred to it as voter intimidation on her Facebook page. Christensen said Tuesday that she had written it and that she considered it unfortunate that something she wrote "as a private citizen to another private citizen" had become an issue.

"It's very strange to me that I was put into this position," Christensen said Tuesday, the day of her first regular meeting as a new council member. "I would really hate to see this become something that wastes time tonight while we're trying to deal with issues such as the flood. But that's what some people have chosen to waste people's time with."

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, resident Deborah Pontis read back Christensen's letter and called on her to resign.

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"Mrs. Christensen assured this community in her campaign for City Council that she understood the needs of small businesses and that she would give them the support they need," Pontis said. "Having read this letter, are we to believe that a small business owner ... who disagrees with Mrs. Christensen's beliefs will be able to receive complete help and support from this council?"

Goff said the note was found Oct. 28 -- a day he wasn't working -- and given to him on Oct. 29. At first, he said, he didn't recognize the name.

"And then it was a little disconcerting, that it could be so ... vitriolic, you know what I mean?" Goff said. "It's a difference of opinion."

During Tuesday night's City Council meeting, Christensen issued an apology.

"I wrote a hasty and ill-conceived note addressed solely to the owner," she said. "I had no idea that this would ever be made public. I had every expectation of privacy. I was shocked to find my note had been shared and started a small brouhaha. ... I apologize for my lack of political expertise, and I also apologize that there were hard feelings."

Andrew Cole, a spokesman for the Colorado Secretary of State's office, said he couldn't comment on whether the note would qualify as intimidation. State law defines it as an attempt to "impede, prevent or otherwise interfere with" a person's vote, or to "compel, induce or prevail upon" someone to either vote or not vote.

"If someone really feels that they've been intimidated, they should submit a complaint to our office," Cole said. "Political speech is the most highly protected speech we have."

It's not the first time Goff has put up campaign material in his business. During one election, his pizza boxes carried stickers for then-State Sen. Brandon Shaffer, a Democrat; in another, he issued coupons that supported a pair of ballot issues for state education funding.

"One year, I even had a 'left side' and 'right side' in my window," Goff said. "I believe in Bryan. I like him as a person, and I'll hang it out for him."

Christensen said she was at the restaurant -- a favorite of hers -- with a friend when she saw the sign. She'd been to some events put on by local Democrats there before, she said, but on seeing the sign felt she had "been played for a fool."

Even if it had been her own sign, Christensen said, she wouldn't think it was a good idea for a business owner to put it up and possibly alienate customers.

"It does let people know how you feel," she said. "And if others feel differently, they can choose what to do."

Her own choices, she said, might now be a little different.

"I think I will have to be a lot more careful in how I phrase things," Christensen said.

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